Stabilized polymers of alkylene oxides



United States Patent Ofiice 3,352,824 Patented Nov. 14, 1967 3,352,824 STAEHIZED POLYMERS F ALKYLENE OES Otto Mauz, Frankfurt am Main, and Hasso Hertel,

Offenbach (Main), Germany, assignor to Fairbwerke Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft vormals Meister Lucius dz Bruning, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, a corporation of Germany No Drawing. Filed June 22, 1965, Ser. No. 466,095 Claims priority, application Germany, June 24, 3364, F 43,252 4 Claims. (Cl. 260-4575) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE Stabilized polyalkylene oxide polymers containing aromatic amines or phenols or a mixture of (i) a nickel complex of a benztriazole, (ii) bis-(4 hydroxy-Z-lower alkyltertiary butyl-phenyl) sulfide or methane and (iii) an alkyl sulfide compound.

The present invention relates to stabilized polymers of alkylene oxides and to a process for preparing same.

It is known that homopolymers and copolymers of alkylene oxides, like all polyethers, undergo degradation to varying extents in the presence of light and atmospheric oxygen so that they have to be stabilized before they are further processed or used. It is known that aromatic amines or phenols can be used as stabilizers for polypropylene oxide, for example. However, the action of such stabilizers does not sufiice to inhibit degradation in the presence of light and heat.

Now we have found that very good stabilization of polymers of alkylene oxides against degradation under the action of light and heat can be achieved when they are intimately mixed with a stabilizer system consisting of compounds of the following formulae:

(a) Nickel complexes of compounds of the formula R2 l a I sM s)a In the formulae R represents a hydrogenor a halogen atom, an alkyl-, aryl-, aralkyl-, cycloalkyl, alkoxy-, aryloxy-, acyloxy-, nitro-, amino-, alkylamino-, dialkylamino-, arylamino-, acylamino-, sulfonylamino-, cyano-, acyl-, carboxylic acid ester-, if necessary a substituted carboxylic acid amide-, sulfonic acid ester-, if necessary a substituted sulfonic acid amide-, alkyl sulfonicor aryl sulfonic group: A represents an S group or (CH group, preferably an -S- group, R and R represents the same or different alkyl radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably an alkyl radical containing 1 carbon atom; 11 is an integer within the range of 1 to 4; R and R represent the same or different alkyl radicals containing,

for example, 4 to 30, preferably 8 to 20 carbon atoms or the group -(CH COO.R R representing an alkyl radical containing, for example, 4 to 30 carbon atoms, and m is an integer within the range of 1 to 4. The stabilizer system contains in general 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of one or several compounds of the general Formula a, and 0.01 to 5 percent by weight, respectively, of one or several compounds of the general Formula b and c, all percentages being calculated on the polymer.

As compounds of the general Formula a, there are mentioned, for example, nickel compounds obtained by reacting arylen-l,2,3-triazoles, which contain a hydrogen atom in the triazole ring, with compounds yielding nickel:

nickel complex of 1,2,3-benztriazole nickel complex of 6-methyl-benztriazole nickel complex of 6-chloro-benztriazole nickel complex of 6-methoxy-'benztriazole nickel complex of S-acetylamino-1,2,3-benztriazole nickel complex of S-butyroylamino-l,2,'3-benztriazole nickel complex of 6-stearoylamino-1,2,3-benztriazole nickel complex of 6-benzoylamino-1,2,3-benztriazole.

Exemplary of the compounds of the general Formula b are:

b is 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-5 -tert,butyl-phenyl-) methane bis (4-hydroxy 2propyl-S-tertbutyl-phenyl methane bis (4-hydroxy-2,5-di-tert.bntyl-phenyl-) methane bis 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-S-tert.butyl-phenyl-) sulfide bis 4 hydroxy-2-propyl-5-tert.butyl-phenyl sulfide bis (4-hydroxy-2,5-di-ter-t.butyl-phenyl-) sulfide.

As organic sulfur compounds of the general Formula 0 there may be used: di(dodecyl)sulfide, di(octadecyl)sulfide, di(dodecyl)disulfide, di(octadecyl)disulfide, di- (dcdecyDtrisulfide, di(octadecyl)trisulfide, di(d0decyl)- tertrasulfide, di(0ctadecyl)tetrasulfide, thicdiglycollic acid dodecyl ester, thiodipropionic acid octadecyl ester, thiodibutyric acid dodecyl ester, trisulfide(diacetic acid octadecyl ester), tetrasulfide(diacetic acid octadecyl ester), and the like.

As polymers which can be stabilized according to the invention, there may be mentioned homopolymers and copolymers of alkylene oxides. The homopolymers and copolymers can be prepared in the presence of a known ionic catalyst by polymerization of saturated alkylene oxides, for example ethylene oxide, propylene oxide; substituted epoxides, for example, epichlorohydrine, perfiuoropropylene oxide and l-chloro-3,4-epoxybutane; cycloaliphatic epoxides, for example cyclohexene oxide; or epoxy ethers, for example, methyl glycidyl ether and phenyl glycidyl ether. The copolymers are prepared in analogous manner by copolymerization of unsaturated epoxides with saturated epoxides, for example, allyl glycidyl ether, o-allylphenyl glycidyl ether, glycidyl acrylate, vinyl cylohexene monoepoxide, cyclohexene oxide, butadiene monoxide, 1,2-epoxyhexene-5, 1,2-epoxycyclooctene-(S). The polymers of alkylene oxides which have been stabilized according to the invention afford a wide range of application, for example in the manufacture of shaped articles, films and fibers.

The homopolymers or copolymers mentioned above may also be dissolved or swollen in appropriate solvents or swelling agents in which case the solutions or swellings have a solids content of about 20 to 30 percent. Suitable solvents or swelling agents are, for example: dimethyl formamide, tetramethylene-sulfone, dioxane, methanol, benzene and other aromatic substances, moreover chlorohydrocarbons, as well as mixtures containing two or three of the said solvents or swelling agents.

Compounds which have a cross-linking action may be added to the solutions or sWellings of the copolymers obtained from saturated and unsaturated epoxides, which have been stabilized according to the invention. As crosslinking compounds there are suitable not only sulfuraccelerator systems but also organic peroxides and other substances forming radicals under the cross-linking conditions, for example azodiisobutyric acid nitrile or azodicarboxylic acid diamides.

It is also possible to add further additives to the solutions or swellings of the polymers stabilized according to the invention, such as active or inactive carbon blacks or light-colored filling material, dyestuffs or pigments extender oils and lubricants.

The following example serves to illustrate the invention but, it is not intended to limit it thereto. In order to test the stability of the polyalkylene oxides stabilized according to the invention, tht following procedure was used:

Example 1 A mixture was prepared on a roller mill (temperature of the rolls: about 40 C.) with the use of a copolymer consisting of 92.5 mol percent propylene oxide and 7.5 mol percent allylglycidyl ether, which mixture had the following composition:

Parts by wt. Copolymer 100.0 Thiourea 1.0 Silicic acid, active 15.0 Zinc oxide 7.5 Dipentamethylene-thiuram tetrasulfide 5.0

Z-mercaptobenzothiazole 0.75 Kronos white 3.0

CHQO K N CH (CH2)i6-CO-NH N Geo-NH 3 After exposure to a Xenotest rapid lamp for 100 hours,

r the fibers had the properties shown in the following table:

Compounds according to the Containing no compound general Formula (a) (percent) according to the general Formula (a) Relative residual tensile strength in percent Material got brittle, no 30 38 27 of the initial tensile strength after 100 hours longer measurable.

exposure to the Xenotest rapid lamp. Relative residual elongation in percent of the .....do 56 48 60 47 initial elongation after 100 hours exposure to the Xenotest rapid lamp.

1 Temperature 45 0., relative air humidity 30%.

100 parts by weight of this mixture were dissolved or made into a paste in 400 parts by weight of methanol, and a mixture was added thereto which consisted of 2% by weight of the compounds enumerated in the table according to the general Formula a, as well as 0.5% by weight of bis-(4-hydroxy-5-tert.butyl-Z-methyl-phenyl)- sulfide and 0.5% by weight of di-(octadecyD-disulfide as heat stabilizers. This solution or gel was spun with the use of water as precipitating bath liquid under the following conditions and cross-linked in a heated shaft:

We claim:

1. A composition of matter comprising a polymer of an alkylene oxide and a mixture comprising 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of at least one compound of Formula a, 0.01 to 5 percent by weight of at least one compound of Formula b, and 0.01 to 5 percent by Weight of at least one compound of Formula, 0, all percentages being calculated on the polymer,

R, R; HOQAQ-OH. 0( 113 owns,

in the formulae R represents a member selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom,

an alkyl-, alkoxy-, and acylamine group; A represents a member selected from the group consisting of an S- group and a -(CH )group, R and R represent alkyl radicals containing 1 to '4 carbon atoms; 11 is an integer Within the range of 1 t0 4; R and R represent a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals containing 4 to 30 carbon atoms and the group R representing an alkyl radical containing 4 to 30 carbon atoms, and m is an integer within the range of 1 to 4.

2. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein A is an Sgroup.

3. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein R 6 4. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein R and R represent alkyl radicals containing 8 to 20 carbon atoms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,074,909 1/1963 Matlack 26045.75 3,212,058 10/1965 Boyle 260-47 3,219,623 11/1965 Berardinelli 26045.95 3,277,044 10/1966 Weissennel et a1. 26045.8

FOREIGN PATENTS 831,925 4/1960 Great Britain.

and R represent the alkyl radical containing one carbon 15 DONALD CZAJA Primary Examiner atom.

V. P. HOKE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COMPOSITION OF MATTER COMPRISING A POLYMER OF AN ALKYLENE OXIDE AND A MIXTURE COMPRISING 0.1 TO 5 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE COMPOUND OF FORMULA A, 0.01 TO 5 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE COMPOUND OF FORMULA B, AND 0.01 TO 5 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE COMPOUND OF FORMULA C, ALL PERCENTAGES BEING CALCULATED ON THE POLYMER, 